Google “Asian carp,” and you’ll return 348,000 hits. Not as many as Lindsay Lohan (21.3 million) but still plenty of choices from which to glean information on the voracious fish knocking on the door of the Great Lakes.

In Michigan, as across the nation, voters took out their anger with the continuing economic recession on the party in charge. A key factor in the election was that many voters stayed home. Close to 640,000 voters (300,000 Democrats and 340,000 Independents) who voted four years ago in the last gubernatorial election were uninspired to vote this year. Thus, Republicans swept to power, taking all of the statewide offices, including the Supreme Court; grew their legislative majority in the State Senate; and took a huge 20-seat swing in the State House to retake the majority. Winning the election may turn out to be the easy part.

A ten dollar bill barely covers the cost of a movie ticket. But ten bucks now gets you an entire year of access to Michigan’s boundless outdoor recreation opportunities, from hiking the rugged Porcupine Mountains to cross-country skiing in Metro Detroit and sunbathing on a Lake Michigan beach

You’ll find a story on page 8 about the new State Parks Passport system that replaces the old state park windshield stickers. We hope it helps restore some of the funding for the parks. And it’s also reason enough for us to devote this issue’s Trivia Time to our state’s great park system!

A webinar led by MEC Energy Program Director David Gard exploring the concept of “Peak Oil” was offered to MEC member groups Sept. 30. The 60-minute presentation discussed the evidence and potential consequences of this emerging reality, and suggested possible solutions for a sustainable future

The Michigan Environmental Council has filed an amicus brief in a key Michigan Supreme Court case involving the right of citizens of Michigan to take legal action to protect the state’s natural resources. An amicus brief is a “friend of the court” argument filed by a party with an interest—but no direct involvement—in the court case.

Smart, sustainable growth in Michigan was buoyed this fall with the receipt of $19 million in federal grants to improve community housing, jobs, transportation planning and infrastructure in five regions of Michigan.